Gas lighter filler valve mechanism



Ian. M, 1966 YOSHIO KANAMARU 3,228,435

GAS LIGHTER FILLER VALVE MECHANISM Filed D60. 7, 1964 FIG.

INVENTOR YOSHIO KANAMARU W Wm ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,228,435 GAS HGHTER FILLER VALVE MEHAN1SM Yoshio Kanamaru, Qhiyoda-hu, Tokyo, Japan, assignor to apan Gas Lighter Association, Tokyo, Japan Fiied Dec. 7, 1964, Ser. No. 416,375 Claims priority, application Japan, Oct. 31, 1964, 39/8 1,731 1 Claim. (Cl. 141286) The present invention relates to gas fueled cigarette lighters, and in particular to a valve mechanism for introducing gaseous fuel to the lighter reservoir.

Valves, for filling reservoirs with liquified gas, having a separate and distinct passageway for (1) the introduction of fuel to the reservoir and (2) the escape of air and excessive fuel from the reservoir to the atmosphere, are well known in the art. Valves of this type, having separate inlet and outlet passageways to and from the lighter reservoir are described, for example, in US. Patent Nos. Re. 24,163; 2,882,940; 3,093,166; and 3,115,907. Although the valves disclosed in the above patents are satisfactory from a functional standpoint, the manufacture of the separate passageways is relatively complicated and obviously results in an increase in the manufacturing costs of the valves.

Recent attempts to eliminate separate and distinct inlet and outlet passageways have resulted in the utilization of interconnections for refill vessels and lighter reservoirs, such as described in US. Patent Nos. 3,146,808 and 3,148,712, for example. The resulting pseudo-single passageway valve constructions are achieved with the use of elongated and/ or deformed top portions of the re fill vessels, the remaining partially separate" inlet and outlet passageways providing only partial relief from the conventional completely separate passageway construe tions long commonplace in this industry.

The present invention envisions a filler-valve construction in which a single orifice defines both the inlet and outlet passageways eliminating the complete separation of passageways such as is present in Patent Nos. Re. 24,163; 2,882,940; 3,993,166; and 3,115,907 or partial separation such as is present in Patent Nos. 3,146,808 and 3,148,712. The present invention, then, concerns valves for refilling lighter reservoirs with liquified gas wherein a true single passageway is utilized for the (1) introduction of gaseous fuel into the reservoir and (2) escape of air and excessive fuel from the reservoir to the atmosphere.

Although the utilization of a single passageway fillervalve obviously reduces manufacturing costs, such a valve structure will only be commercially acceptable if the refilling operation is smooth and safe. Prior filling valves, such as described in the above patents, have utilized separate inlet and outlet passageways because of the assumptions that (1) the pressure in the filler valve itself is constant throughout and greater than the pressure in the lighter reservoir and (2) the pressure in the lighter reservoir is constant and greater than the atmospheric pressure. Careful study and experimentation, however, has revealed that the pressures both in the filler valve and in the reservoir are not constant. In fact, these pressures vary in accordance with the relative positions within the valve and reservoir. Guided by the above discovery, and desirous of establishing the necessary pressure relationships to ensure the smooth flow of fuel, it was fur ther discovered that a jet stream of released butane might establish within the valve an independent inlet path of gaseous fuel without the necessity of separating same from the outward flow of air and excessive fuel. Furrows were designed to cause the fuel discharging from the refiller bomb to jet into the reservoir thus eliminating ice the necessity of utilizing structure defining a separate inlet passageway for the gaseous fuel.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide in a gas fueled lighter an improved filler-valve mechanism.

Another object of invention is to provide in a gas fueled lighter an improved filler-valve comprising a single pas sageway for both the inlet of gaseous fuel and the outlet of air and excessive fuel from the reservoir.

Yet additional objects of invention will become apparent from the ensuing specification and attached drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation in section of the filler-valve in closed position; and

FIG. 2 is a side elevation in section of the filler-valve in open position.

In the filler-valve construction, an illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lighter casing is generally indicated by 100. The filler-valve comprises a stationary outer valve member 112 and a movable inner valve member 114 mounted within outer valve member 112 in rectilinear sliding relationship. The stationary outer valve member 112 is secured to wall of the lighter casing and held in spaced relationship thereto with rubber sealing member 113. Stationary outer valve member 112 includes upper cylindrical sleeve portion 118 and lower cylindrical member 120 threadedly attached thereto. Movable inner valve member 114 includes an upper portion and a lower portion 141 intersecting to form at the middle of movable inner valve member 114 a valve seat 136 which supports rubber sealing means 138. Upper portion 130 of movable inner valve member 114 terminates at the top thereof in a dish-plate like seat having an opening 151 therein. A rubber sealing member 152 having a small opening 153 therein, which is in connection with opening 151, is located on seal 150. In the bottom of lower cylindrical member 120 is located opening 126 through which movable inner valve member 141 may slide up and down freely in accordance with the contact pressure applied to dish-plate like seat 150 by the top portion of fuel containing bomb 162 against spring 128, during filling.

The operation of the filler-valve construction of FIGS. 1 and 2 is initiated when the top portion 160 of refilling bomb 162 is depressed against the dish-plate like seat 150 causing movable inner valve member 114 to move downwardly to open valve seat 136 against the pressure of spring 128 simultaneously causing the fuel in the bomb to pass through small holes 151 and 153 and then to jet into the chamber 111 surrounded by the inner walls of upper cylindrical sleeve portion 118 and lower cylindrical member 120 respectively. Note that the top portion 160 of bomb 162 is received by the dish-plate like seat 150 and is not inserted in the inner space limited by the walls of upper cylindrical sleeve portion 118 and lower cylindrical member 120. Fuel, being jetted into chamber 111, runs into the reservoir of the lighter body through Windows 122 on the wall of lower cylindrical member 120. Air and exhaust fuel pass inwardly through windows 122 into chamber 111, without being separated by any artificial means from the in-coming jet of fuel, and then escapes into the atmosphere passing the gap between dish-plate like seat 150 and the inner walls of upper cylindrical sleeve portion 118.

Manifestly, various changes in construction and substitution of parts may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of invention, as defined in the sub-joined claim.

I claim:

An arrangement for filling a lighter tank containing a fuel reservoir with liquified gas continued in a gas supply bomb, comprising in combination;

3 4 (A) fuel charging means carried by said lighter tank said valve seat means of said outer valve memand affording simultaneous escape of gas from said her and containing a transverse surface resting reservoir and charging of said reservoir with liquified in engageable relationship with said valve seat gas under pressure, said fuel charging means inmeans of said outer valve member when said eluding 5 inner valve member is in closed position, and a (1) an outer valve member having a top Wall second rod portion extending below said interand side Walls fixed with respect to said tank, mediate shoulder portion; said outer valve member including a passage- (B) mounting means affording substantially rectilinear way located near the top thereof and comsliding movement of said inner valve member with municating with the atmosphere at said top respect to said outer valve member in moving be- Wall, at least one window located in said side tween said open and closed positions; and walls thereof and communicating with said re- (C) spring means urging said inner valve member toservoir to serve as a passageway for both the Wards said closed position. charging of fuel into said reservoir and the escape of air and excess fuel therefrom, and References Cited y the Examiner valve Seat means; FOREIGN PATENTS (2) an inner valve member mounted to move Within said outer valve member between open and closed positions and including a first rod portion terminating at the top thereof in a dish-plate like seat for engagement with said 962,400 7/ 1964- Great Britain. 590,333 4/1959 Italy.

References Cited by the Applicant gas supply bomb, said dish-plate like seat being UNITED STATES PATENTS located within said passageway of said outer Re. 24,163 6/1956 Zellweger.

valve member at the upper portion of said side 2,643,535 6/ 1953 Strumbos.

walls and in close proximity to said top wall of 2,882,940 4/ 1959 Zellweger.

said outer valve member, said dish-plate like seat 3,093,166 6/ 1963 Ik t i,

containing a small vertical aperture therein for 3 115,907 12/1963 L b n jetting fuel vertically downward along the out- 3,146,808 9/1964 Zellweger.

side of said first rod portion of said inner valve 3 143,712 9/ 1964 Zellwegen member into and through said window of said 3,192,971 7/1965 K outer valve member, an intermediate shoulder portion extending outwardly from said first rod FOREIGN PATENTS portion and spaced downwardly along said first 903,463 2/1954 yrod portion a distance from said dish-plate like seat approximately equal to the distance between LAVERNE D GEIGER Primary Exammer' said top wall of said outer valve member and H. S. BELL, Assistant Examiner. 

